Anna Valdez, a long-serving city employee, found herself grappling with an uncertain future after 34 years in public service.
Valdez, 53, had always felt secure in her role with the city, a tradition passed down through her family, including a grandmother who served as secretary to former mayor Federico Peña.
However, a drastic change in city policy this summer left her unprepared. Mayor Mike Johnston, confronting a $200 million budget deficit, initiated a significant shift in how layoffs would be conducted.
The established seniority protections that had long governed employee security were weakened, changing the landscape of job security for many.
“This city is really important to us, and I just think that we have stuck it out,” Valdez expressed on Wednesday, reflecting on her commitment to the city.
She emphasized that her dedication was predicated on the belief that long service would ensure job stability.
However, the new layoffs disrupted this long-standing assurance, impacting a broad spectrum of employees.
The city’s decision to lay off Valdez, along with 170 others, marked the most extensive workforce reductions since the Great Recession.
Among those affected were 36 workers with over 10 years of service, including some with more than three decades of experience.
“I don’t even know if it’s sunk in yet,” Valdez admitted, as she absorbed the shock of losing her job on the first day of layoffs.
The sweeping cuts, which included closing nearly 700 open positions, total nearly 8 percent of the city’s general workforce.
Valdez lamented the impact on institutional knowledge within the city, stating, “I just don’t see how it could be without discrimination,” as she perceived the layoffs as an effort to target older workers in favor of a younger workforce.
The criticism surrounding these layoffs has fueled serious accusations of a “purge” within the city government.
Clerk and Recorder Paul López has faced allegations regarding targeted layoffs, while Councilmember Stacie Gilmore suggested that some dismissals were retaliatory actions.
Johnston has rebuffed these claims, asserting that the process was fair and non-discriminatory, with senior workers comprising a proportional amount of layoffs relative to layoff-eligible employees.
Yet many city workers argue that this has only heightened tensions between the new administration and the longstanding employees who began their careers under previous mayors.
Laid-off employees voiced concern about the loss of expertise.
One former worker from the Office of Children’s Affairs noted the vast knowledge lost, stating, “In most cases, the people who were laid off were the content area experts.”
With such departures, these employees worry about the gaps in experience left behind.
Additionally, the impact has resonated with newer employees, as the majority of layoffs included those within their first five years on the job.
Devin Mason, who had joined the Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure in 2022, described being blindsided by his layoff.
He had been actively engaged in public service and took pride in his work, but the sudden termination left him questioning the rationale behind the decisions about who was let go.
As a newer employee, Mason found the layoff process shrouded in uncertainty, describing the lack of clear communication on the criteria determining which employees were deemed expendable.
Managers were instructed to assess employees based on skills and performance, with tenure factoring into the scoring system.
Despite these guidelines, many employees felt little reassurance in the aftermath of the layoffs.
Mason, having recently purchased a home, now faces the daunting task of searching for new employment in a challenging economic climate.
The city’s decision to terminate, at a time when numerous other municipalities are grappling with financial challenges stemming from broader economic implications, has left many feeling vulnerable.
“Losing my job and my health insurance has left me feeling unmoored,” expressed Kat Jarvis, a former deputy director at the Office of Children’s Affairs, highlighting the personal strain of navigating unemployment alongside family health issues.
Jarvis, who is handling the serious health needs of her husband, shared the additional burden of financial uncertainty on top of personal challenges.
Laid-off employees were provided with 30 days of paid benefits and continuation of medical coverage through September 30.
However, the severance packages contingent on waiving their rights to any legal recourse have raised concerns among affected employees.
Mason articulated the apprehension many shared regarding the decision to accept the severance, stating, “That’s a big concern to me.”
As they navigate these unprecedented circumstances, employees like Valdez, Mason, and Jarvis are left to ponder their next steps in careers that were once stalwart for their families and communities.
Some, like Valdez, are considering running for local office as a way to voice their discontent with the city’s current direction.
The wave of layoffs has elicited a strong emotional response from those affected, many of whom are shaken by the rapid changes in their professional lives.
As the city of Denver confronts its budgetary challenges and the repercussions of these decisions, the impact on individual lives continues to unfold.
image source from：denverite
